Opinion: North Korea backed off because of U.S. stance and economic pressure from China

by Boris Epshteyn, Chief Political Analyst

A man watches a television screen showing President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. President Donald Trump issued a new threat to North Korea on Thursday, demanding that Kim Jong Un's government "get their act together" or face extraordinary trouble. He said his previous "fire and fury" warning to Pyongyang might have been too mild. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Boris Epshteyn formerly served as a Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign and served in the White House as Special Assistant to The President and Assistant Communications Director for Surrogate Operations.

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - The tensions with North Korea are cooling down.

North Korea state TV announced this week that they are stepping back their plans to attack the U.S. territory of Guam.

So, what’s behind North Korea backing off?

Let’s break it down.

First - the president has continued to stand strong against North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un. The president made clear that the U.S. is willing to use its mighty military force.

Second - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has indicated that there would be a path for North Korea to diffuse tensions through diplomatic means.

And finally – the U.S. has been advocating for elevated international pressure on North Korea, specifically from China.

On Monday, China announced that it would abide by the new rules passed by the United Nations Security Council as punishment for North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests. The security council had said earlier this month that North Korea was no longer able to export coal, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

China implemented its prohibition of these specific imports from North Korea shortly after the resolution was passed.

China is one of North Korea’s most important allies, it accounts for 90% of North Korea’s trade. In the past, China has taken a lax approach to dealing with Kim Jong Un’s aggressive behavior. That has changed since President Trump’s inauguration.

The bottom line is this. The Trump administration took a multi-pronged approach to an increased threat from North Korea. Unlike past attempts to get North Korea to back down – this worked.

The president and his team combined strong words, a willingness to take action, along with diplomatic outreach and economic pressure.

As a result, Americans can sleep a little better at night, without the fear of warfare between the U.S. and North Korea looming over us.